Identification of the firstin silico-designed TREK1 antagonists that block channel currents dose dependently

Discovery of Isobenzofuran-1(3H)-one Derivatives as Selective TREK-1 Inhibitors with In Vitro and In Vivo Neuroprotective Effects

TREK-1 regulates neuronal excitability and neuronal cell apoptosis, and inhibition of TREK-1 is a potential strategy to prevent cell death and achieve neuroprotection in an ischemic stroke. In this work, a series of novel isobenzofuran-1(3H)-one derivatives were designed and synthesized as TREK-1 inhibitors, and extensive structure-activity relationships led to the discovery of potent and selective TREK-1 inhibitors having IC50 values of a low micromolar level. Among them, Cpd8l potently and selectively inhibited TREK-1 (IC50 = 0.81 μM, selectivity >30 fold over other K+, Na+, and TRP channels). Cpd8l remarkably reduced the neuron death in the OGD/R-induced cortical neuronal injury model, while adenovirus silencing TREK-1 reduced its neuroprotective effect. Furthermore, Cpd8l could effectively ameliorate brain injury in MCAO/R model mice. Collectively, this work demonstrates that Cpd8l may serve as a novel lead compound to develop a highly potent and selective TREK-1 inhibitor for ischemic stroke treatment.

TASK Channels Pharmacology: New Challenges in Drug Design

Rational drug design targeting ion channels is an exciting and always evolving research field. New medicinal chemistry strategies are being implemented to explore the wild chemical space and unravel the molecular basis of the ion channels modulators binding mechanisms. TASK channels belong to the two-pore domain potassium channel family and are modulated by extracellular acidosis. They are extensively distributed along the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, and their expression is up- and downregulated in different cancer types, which makes them an attractive therapeutic target. However, TASK channels remain unexplored, and drugs designed to target these channels are poorly selective. Here, we review TASK channels properties and their known blockers and activators, considering the new challenges in ion channels drug design and focusing on the implementation of computational methodologies in the drug discovery process.

Molecular determinants of chemical modulation of two-pore domain potassium channels

The K⁺ ion channels comprising the two-pore domain (K2P) family have specific biophysical roles in generating the critical regulatory K⁺ current. Ion flow through K2P channels and, implicitly, channel regulation is mediated by diverse metabolic and physical inputs such as mechanical stimulation, interaction with lipids or endogenous regulators, intra- or extracellular pH, and phosphorylation, while their function can be finely tuned by chemical compounds. In the latter category, some drug-channel interactions can lead to side effects or have clinical action, while identifying novel chemical modulators of K2Ps is an area of intense research. Due to their cellular and therapeutic importance, much attention was turned to these channels in recent years and several experimental approaches have pinpointed the molecular determinants of K2P chemical modulation. Given their unique structural features and properties, chemical modulators act on K2P channels in multiple and diverse ways. In this review, the particularities of K2P modulation by chemical compounds, such as binding modality, affinity, or position, are identified, synthesized, and linked to structural and functional properties in order to refer to how activators and blockers modify channel function and vice versa, focusing on specificity related to protein structure (and its modification) and cross-linking information among different subfamilies.